**Bread Base**
Strong Flour
Dry Yeast
4g Ice Water (Early Autumn) 120-130g Egg 1 piece Butter 40g Salt 4g2️⃣ Cake Batter
Eggs: 6 pieces Sugar: 90g Salad Oil: 60g Milk: 70gCake flour: 50g
Cocoa powder: 20g Lemon juice: a pinch 1. Add all ingredients for the dough except butter and salt into the mixing bowl. Mix at speed 2 until a smooth dough forms. Whether a gluten window develops or not, add butter and salt, mix at speed 2 until incorporated, then increase to speed 4-5 and knead until an elastic dough forms. Achieving a gluten window (thin membrane) is ideal but not essential. 2. If a gluten window is achieved, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to rest, then bring to room temperature and ferment for approximately 1 hour. If a gluten window is not achieved, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest. Remove, fold the dough in one direction, return to the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes, then fold again. Repeat this folding process three times. The dough will become highly elastic and pliable. 3. Ferment at room temperature (approximately 26-28°C) for about 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size. To test, dust a finger with flour and gently poke the dough; if the indentation does not spring back, fermentation is complete. Remove the dough, gently press to release gas, and divide into two equal portions.Line the toast box with parchment paper. Roll one portion of the dough into a rectangle, then roll it up. Place it in the toast box and put it in the oven at 28-30°C. Place a bowl of boiling water inside for fermentation for about 30 minutes, until it expands to 1.5 times its original size. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites for the cake batter. Ensure the bowl for the egg whites is completely free of water and oil. Mix the egg yolks with salad oil and milk, stirring slowly and thoroughly to emulsify the oil and milk. Sift in low-gluten flour and cocoa powder, then mix evenly with an egg whisk in a zigzag motion. Chill the egg whites in the freezer for a short while for better whipping. Add lemon juice and sugar, then whip in one direction until stiff peaks form. When lifting the whisk slowly, a large curved hook forms, indicating it is ready. Take 1/3 of the whipped egg whites and add to the chocolate batter. Mix evenly with an egg whisk in a zigzag motion. Then pour the mixture back into the remaining 2/3 of the egg whites and continue mixing evenly. Once the fermented dough has expanded to 1.5 times its size, take it out. Preheat the oven to 180°C for 9-10 minutes. Slowly pour the cake batter into the toast box.
Fill to about 70-80% full. Bake in the oven at 175°C with top and bottom heat for 40-45 minutes. Take it out after 15 minutes of baking. Make a slit in the middle to ensure even cooking. Continue baking. Remove immediately after baking and transfer to a cooling rack; the whole room will already be filled with an enticing aroma. Remove the parchment paper and it will be amazingly fragrant. After cooling, it can be sliced and portioned. The bread is soft and chewy with a fluffy texture, while the cake remains light and does not collapse at all.
The central organization is also excellent. Slice it thickly and pack it in powder form. Today’s afternoon tea and tomorrow’s breakfast are both ready. There is a slight bit of trouble, but the texture is distinctly layered. Experience bread and cake in one bite—be sure to give it a try!
How to Store and Reheat
Let the loaf cool all the way to room temperature before you wrap it — the cake layer keeps releasing steam for a while, and trapping that heat under wrap makes the top soggy. Once cool, keep it in an airtight bag at room temperature and finish it within two days at its best. Slicing as needed rather than all at once helps the cut face stay moist.
- To refresh a slice, 300°F (150°C) for 5-8 minutes brings back a soft crumb and a slightly crisp cake top.
- For longer keeping, slice the whole loaf, freeze the slices flat in a bag, and take out only what you need.
- Skip the refrigerator — it makes both the bread and the cake layer turn stale noticeably faster.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Most problems with this two-in-one bake come from timing rather than technique. The ones worth watching:
- Overfilling the pan. Batter past about 80% full will climb over the rim as the dough underneath keeps rising. Stop at that line and you get a clean, even top.
- Skipping the 15-minute slit. That cut lets steam escape from the center so the cake layer bakes level instead of splitting wherever it pleases.
- Folding the meringue too hard. A few swift strokes at each stage are enough; batter that has lost its air bakes into a dense, wet layer.
- Slicing while warm. The structure sets as it cools — cut early and the layers press together into a gummy slice.
Serving Suggestions
A thick slice stands on its own with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee, which is how it usually disappears in an afternoon. Dusting the top lightly with cocoa through a sieve makes it look a little more finished for guests. Served warm with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream it becomes a proper dessert, and the next morning it toasts well enough to pass for a treat breakfast.
